The largest series of books in ancient China is

Sikuquanshu is the largest official revision in ancient China and the largest series in ancient China.

According to Wen Jin Ge Ji, the book contains 3450 kinds of classics, history and subset books, with 79072 volumes and more than 36000 volumes).

The name "Four Treasures of the Study" originated in the early Tang Dynasty. The official collection in the early Tang Dynasty was divided into four stacks of classics and history, which were called "Four Treasures of the Study" or "Four Treasures of the Study". The quartering of the subset of classics and history is the main method of ancient book classification, which basically covers all ancient books, so it is called "the whole book".

In the early years of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty, Zhou Yongnian, a scholar, put forward the theory of Confucianism and Tibet, and advocated that Confucian works should be integrated for people to borrow. This theory has been widely responded by the society and is the social basis for compiling Sikuquanshu. In November of the thirty-seventh year of Qianlong (1772), Zhu Jun, an Anhui scholar, put forward the problem of compiling Yongle Grand Ceremony, which was recognized by Emperor Qianlong. Later, he ordered the compilation of lost books with books collected by provinces and engraved by officials of Wuyingtang, which was called Sikuquanshu. In this way, the compilation of Yongle Dadian led to the huge project of compiling Sikuquanshu, which became the direct reason for compiling Sikuquanshu.

The compilation process of Sikuquanshu is divided into four steps: the first step is to collect books. The collection of books lasted for seven years from the thirty-seventh year of Qianlong (1772) to the forty-third year of Qianlong (1778). In order to commend those who entered the book, the Qing court also formulated methods such as giving books, chanting scriptures and registering names. : "Award book", that is, those who have entered more than 500 books will be given a book "Integration of Ancient and Modern Books"; Those who read more than 100 books will get a copy of Pei Yunwen Fu. "Inscription", that is, those who enter the book 100 or more, choose a pure and mellow book, and Emperor Qianlong inscribes the bamboo slips at the end to show his favor. "Registration" means to indicate the name of the collector or book collector in the abstract. With the strong assistance of the local government and the positive response of bibliophiles, the collection of books is progressing smoothly, with a collection of12,237 volumes, including 4,808 Jiangsu books, ranking first in all provinces. Zhejiang has 4600 books, ranking second. Private book collectors such as Ma Yu, Bao Shigong, Fan Hewang have also entered many books.

The second step is to organize books. There are four sources of the original edition of Sikuquanshu: one is the collection of books in the Forbidden City; Second, the compilation of books by Qing court officials; Third, collection of books in various places; Fourthly, the lost books are compiled from Yongle Dadian. Our library officials put forward specific opinions on the above books, which should be copied, engraved and preserved. The copied book is a qualified work and can be copied into Sikuquanshu. Books that should be engraved are considered to be the best works. These works should not only be copied into Sikuquanshu, but also be carved into separate volumes and widely circulated. Books that should be kept are regarded as unqualified works and cannot be copied into Sikuquanshu. There are only their names in the catalogue of Sikuquanshu, and they are listed in the catalogue. There are 6793 kinds of such works, 9355 1 volume, which is nearly twice as many as that in Sikuquanshu. For the works that should be copied, we should compare the differences between the same book and different books and choose the better book as the base book. Once a book is defined as the basic edition of Si Ku, it will go through a series of processing, and Fei Biao and Eyebrows are the products of processing. Flying sign, also called clip sign, is a note taken by branch officials to correct typos and write preliminary opinions. This kind of comment is often attached to the volume and submitted to the editor for review. If approved by the editor, you can modify the original text with brush strokes, otherwise it will not be modified. Then submit it to the editor-in-chief for the third trial. After analysis, the editor-in-chief can not agree with the editor's audit opinion, but adopt the preliminary examination opinion of the head of the branch. After the third trial, it was submitted to the court.

The third step is to copy the manuscript. Copywriting came from recommendation at first, but later it was found that this method had some disadvantages such as bribery, so it was changed to examination. The specific method is: when you need to add a copy, send a notice first. After the applicant signs up, write a few lines on the spot to see if the handwriting is correct and choose the best. Although the examination method is superior to the recommendation method, there are some inconveniences. So in the end, it was chosen from the students who failed the rural exam, and the one who wrote even on the test paper was hired. In this way, 3826 people have been selected for copying, which ensures the need of copying Sikuquanshu. In order to ensure the progress, the copying quota is also stipulated: each person copies 1 0,000 words per day, 330,000 words per year, and five years10.8 million words. At the expiration of five years, copying 2 million words is rated as first class; Copy 1.65 million words, as the second class. According to the grade, they were awarded four official positions: state boy, state judge, county cheng and main book. If it is found that the font is untidy, it will be recorded once, and it will be fined 10000 words. Due to effective measures and clear rewards and punishments, the reproduction of Sikuquanshu is progressing smoothly. There are 600 people engaged in copying every day, and at least 600,000 words can be copied.

The fourth step is to modify. This is the last key process. In order to ensure the smooth progress of the revision, Siku Quanshu Library has formulated the Regulations on Punishment of Merits and Disruptions, which stipulates that if the typo is original, it will be exempted from recording; If the original text is correct, it is indeed an error caused by transcription, and each error is recorded once; If you can find out the original mistakes, please sign and correct them, and record your merits once for each place. After each volume, the titles of revisers are listed to clarify their responsibilities. A book of the branch school, after re-examination, passed twice, read and approved by the principal, and finally decorated and presented. The branch school, the re-school, and the principal each perform their duties, which really plays an important role in ensuring the quality of Sikuquanshu. Forty-six years after Qianlong (178 1), the first Sikuquanshu was finally copied and bound. Then it took nearly three years to copy the second, third and fourth books and store them in Wen Yuan Pavilion, Wenshui Pavilion, Wen Yuan Pavilion and Jinwen Pavilion. This is the so-called "North Four Pavilion". From July of the forty-seventh year of Qianlong (1782) to the fifty-second year of Qianlong (1787), three more copies were copied and stored in the collections of Wenzong Pavilion, Wenhui Pavilion and Wen Lan Pavilion in the south of the Yangtze River. This is the so-called "Nansange". Each Sikuquanshu has 36,300 volumes and 6,752 letters. All the books in the seven museums have seals, such as the seal of the first Zhu in the collection and the seal of the last Zhu.

The content of Sikuquanshu is very rich. According to the content, it includes 4 parts, 44 classes and 66 genera. The Department of Classics includes the Book of Changes, Calligraphy, Poetry, Rites, Spring and Autumn Period, Filial Piety, Five Classics, Four Books, Music, Primary School, etc. 10, among which Rites are divided into six categories: Zhou Rites, Rites, Three Rites, Tong Rites and Miscellaneous Rites, while Primary Schools are divided into exegesis and Miscellaneous Rites. The history department includes official history, chronicle, miscellaneous history, other history, imperial edict memorial, biography, historical records, records, seasons, geography, official positions, political books, catalogues, historical reviews, etc. 15, among which imperial edict memorial is divided into imperial edict and memorial. Geographical points 10 genus, namely, Gongshu, Tongzhi, Dujun, rivers, frontier defense, mountains and rivers, historical sites, miscellaneous notes, travel notes and external notes; Officials are divided into two genera, namely, official system and official admonition; Political books are divided into six genera, namely, general system, etiquette system, national planning, military and political affairs, regulations and examinations; The catalogue is divided into two categories: classic and epigraphy. Subdivision includes Confucianism, militarists, legalists, farmers, doctors, astronomical algorithms, arithmetic, art, music records, miscellaneous books, novelists, Buddhists, Taoists, etc. 14, among which astronomical algorithms are divided into Tubu and Shushu, and arithmetic is divided into mathematics, Zhanhou and Shushu. The catalogue is divided into three genera: utensils, recipes, plants, birds, animals, insects and fish; Miscellaneous categories are divided into six genera: miscellaneous science, miscellaneous examination, miscellaneous theory, miscellaneous articles, miscellaneous compilation and miscellaneous compilation; Novelists are divided into three categories: miscellaneous works, anecdotes and obscene language; This collection includes five categories: Chu Ci, Bie Ji, Zong Ji, Shi Ping and Ci Qu, among which Ci Qu is divided into five categories: Word Segmentation Collection, Ci Selection, Hua Ci, Ci Pu Yun and Nanbei Qu. In addition to Zhang Hui's novels and dramas, the above categories basically include all kinds of books popular in society. As far as the author is concerned, it includes the works of women, monks, Taoist priests, eunuchs, soldiers, emperors and foreigners.

Of course, the content of Sikuquanshu also has some shortcomings: First, it attaches importance to Confucian works and puts them in a prominent position. Put Confucian classics at the head of the four books, and general Confucian works at the head of the sub-department. Second, despise scientific and technological works. It is believed that modern western science and technology is the "most heretical", and it can be "learned from it, forbidden to learn and spread it". Except for a few scientific and technological works collected by farmers, doctors and astronomical algorithms, general scientific and technological works are not included. Third, we don't accept drama works and chapter novels. Fourth, the words in the book may be abridged or changed. The process of compiling Sikuquanshu is also a process of combining prohibition with expropriation, and also a process of building a literary inquisition in Daxing. According to statistics, in the process of book revision for more than 0 years, more than 3 kinds of books were banned, with more than 50,000 copies of/kloc-0. There are also many abridged or supplemented books in Sikuquanshu.

In the process of compiling Sikuquanshu, the Summary of Sikuquanshu, General Catalogue of Sikuquanshu, Concise Catalogue of Sikuquanshu, Textual Research of Sikuquanshu and Wuyingdian Juyan Edition Series were also compiled. These books can be regarded as a by-product of compiling Sikuquanshu. Summary of Sikuquanshu is the essence of Sikuquanshu, with 473 kinds of books, 1993 1 volume. The size and binding form of folio are the same as those of Sikuquanshu. In the forty-three years of Qianlong (1778), * * * copied two books: one was placed in the algae hall of the imperial garden in the palace, and the other was placed in the Weifang Bookstore of Changchun Garden outside the east wall of Yuanmingyuan. The 200-volume catalogue of Sikuquanshu is the general catalogue of books collected and preserved by Sikuquanshu. There are "examples" in front of the table of contents, a general order in front of the four parts of the subset of classics and history, and a small order in front of the major categories. Under each book, there are textual research texts such as author introduction, content overview, version origin and so on. Because these textual research words were written by famous scholars such as Ji Yun, Dai Zhen, Shao, etc., they have important academic value. The Concise Catalogue of Sikuquanshu (20 volumes) is an abridged version of the General Catalogue of Sikuquanshu. It does not list the catalogue books, but only the books included in Sikuquanshu, and the abstract of each book is relatively simple. A hundred volumes of Textual Research of Sikuquanshu is the official version of Sikuquanshu, and the records and compilation of collation sentences in each book should be engraved, which has high reference value for revising ancient books. The "Wuyingdian Juzhen Edition Series" is printed with wooden movable type. Including 138 kinds of books that should be engraved in Sikuquanshu. After printing four series, Jin Jian, the host, thought that wooden movable type cost less and had high practical value, so he changed it to printing and publishing. Jin Bamboo Slips wrote the printing technology of wooden movable type into a book "Collection of Wuying Palace", which was included in Sikuquanshu. It is an important document in the history of ancient printing, translated into German and English, and spread all over the world.

What is the reason for the successful compilation of Sikuquanshu? First, a stable social environment. During the period of writing books, during the heyday of Kanggan, everything in the world was free from the interference of war. It was 10 years before the official of the fourth treasury took the case, so there was no worries. Second, the concern of the supreme ruler. From the brewing to the completion of Sikuquanshu, Ganlong Li Hong always participated in it and was carefully planned by him. From collecting books, selecting books, copying books and proofreading books, Gan Long and Li Hong asked questions one by one and sorted them out in person. Third, a strong source of funds. "Sikuquanshu" is voluminous, and the required funds are difficult to count, so the Qing court accepted it all. Fourth, a strict organizational system. The highest positions of Siku Quanshu Museum are president and vice president, mostly held by county kings, university students, six ministers and assistant ministers. They are responsible for all the affairs in the Prime Minister's Museum, with a compilation department, a book editorial department and a manufacturing supervision department. The editorial department is responsible for the proofreading and distribution of all books, and also serves as a branch of the book editorial department; Calligraphy department is responsible for the compilation and arrangement of the whole book; The supervision department is responsible for the printing, printing, binding and sorting of Wu Yingtang's books. There are a total of 360 treasury officers in Four Treasures of the Study, except those who have been dismissed, physically removed or transferred for some reason. Fifth, exceptional recruitment of talents. Siku Quanshu Library is a treasure house of talents, with a large number of outstanding talents, many of whom are hired by exceptions, such as Shao, Zhou Yongnian, Dai Zhen, etc. Before entering the library, they were not only not academicians, but also Dai Zhen and Yang Changlin were not even scholars, just juren. The gathering of talents has created more favorable conditions for compiling Sikuquanshu.

It has been more than 200 years since the compilation of Sikuquanshu. What is the circulation of Sikuquanshu? Of the seven books, Wen Yuan Pavilion, Wenzong Pavilion and Wen Hui Pavilion have all disappeared, and only Wen Yuan Pavilion, Jinwen Pavilion, Wenshui Pavilion and Wen Lan Pavilion have been handed down from generation to generation. Wen Yuan Pavilion is now in Taiwan Province Province, Jinwen Pavilion is in Beijing Library, and Wenshui Pavilion is in Gansu Library. The Wen Lan Pavilion was initially damaged in the war, but it was later copied and basically completed, and now it is in Zhejiang Library.

How to evaluate Sikuquanshu? Although there are some mistakes in the compilation of Sikuquanshu, such as abridging and digging up the contents, on the whole, the success should outweigh the mistakes. First of all, it preserves a large number of ancient books and is a summary of ancient culture. The compilation of Sikuquanshu has made great contributions to promoting national culture and spreading ancient culture. For more than 200 years, after the war, if there were no such books as Sikuquanshu, a large number of ancient books would be lost, causing irreparable losses. Secondly, the collating methods of ancient books, especially in compiling, collating, bibliography, compilation and engraving, have left many beneficial inspirations for future generations: in compiling, there are 385 kinds of lost books compiled by the officials of Siku Library from Yongle Dadian and included in Siku Quanshu, which not only makes many people lost, but also collects many books and selects the base books carefully. In the aspect of bibliography, the academic value of Sikuquanshu Catalogue is unmatched by any official and folk bibliography in ancient times, and its compilation method has had a far-reaching impact on later generations. In the aspect of compiling and engraving series, taking Sikuquanshu as an example, the Qing Dynasty set off an upsurge of compiling and engraving series. In recent years, the publication of the catalogue series of Sikuquanshu and the continuation of Sikuquanshu are fruitful achievements in carrying forward the national culture and inheriting and carrying forward the fine tradition of Sikuquanshu. In a word, Sikuquanshu was a super-large cultural project in the history of China and even the world from 1970s to 1980s in 18, which wrote an important page in the history of human culture.